I will admit I have made almost no plans for this weekend. That was on purpose as the last few weeks have been busier then usual and my head and heart need some down time. So as I considered my long weekend options, I realized the following: I can do stuff that costs money, or I can do cooler stuff that doesn’t cost money.
Amazing epiphany, eh? So the options in my town for Memorial Day stuff to do, are as follows:
Drive to a great Festival in Downtown Roanoke:
- Parking, $3
- Festival, $10
- No dogs allowed
- No outside food or drink (so I will need to bring cash for water, snacks, etc)
Walk .5 miles from my house to a local park and hiking trail, which leads to over 30 miles of hiking trails on Mill Mountain, up to the Blue Ridge Parkway:
- Free
- Dogs allowed
- I will pack a picnic which will be tasty and mostly vegan
- Scenic, and mildly athletic
Jog .5 Miles from my house to one of the City of Roanoke’s Greenways for a stroll, jog, bike or walk:
- Free
- Dogs allowed
- I can bring snacks
- Scenic, and mildly athletic
- Might run into friends
- Great people watching
Take the kids (Gracie and Atticus) to the Roanoke Dog Park for a romp:
- Free
- Dogs encouraged to come and play
- Scenic, and mildly athletic for all of us
- Tired dogs great result
I could also pack the car and drive 1 hour west to Craig County and enjoy the view:
- Free
- Could bring the bikes and take a ride
- Could do some fishing (Don’t worry – catch & release)
- Dogs allowed
- Might make me pause and be grateful to live in such a beautiful place
These options seem pretty good to me. I hope wherever you are this weekend, you will enjoy some of the “free stuff” as well.
I would love to hear about your plans, ideas and adventures. Oh, and if you love the free stuff as much as I do, take a minute to let someone know – either your City or County Parks & Rec. department, or maybe a silent prayer of thanks for the opportunity to enjoy all the mother nature has provided.
Have a blessed weekend. I hope to see you outside.
